The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-02-24

WAACg dAAA 0as ~ hAS ASGs
of his life-and he is called Forty"
for short! Then here's .'Sin," a meek
little fellow, short, faded and thin.
The ..Gent from Arkansas comes next
on my Observation-Disclosures, with
such a gigantic, hard fist. Deacon
Ben," a queer genius who drinks more
than any, and who is more frightened
at me, dear, than many soberer, stead
Ter men-and I trust that kind Provi-
dence, always loving and just, will
give m a chance once to brighten him
so that the road to the bar IL be the one
he Uon't go! I think if I can not talk
him to reason I'll enact a white specter
at the best for a season, and waylay
him at night; my pupils all say this
will be the surest and likeliest way.
So you see we have ''romances."
| Speaking of these, I'll tell you a ro-
nance I'm quite sure will please your
fastidious taste. Before "act" or
"~scene" I must tell you that Antoin-
cite here is called '.Queen;" the cog
| nomen started somehow with the men,
and they would have it so, though
again and again 1 have told them twas
foolish.
Scene first shows a tree-a sovereign
acknowledgements me; and lean
ing thereon as she sits at its foot with
her head on her hand and her arm on
a root musing full bitterly; for, my
good friend, my life isn't sunshine be-
ginning or end.
Away in the distance the white
mountain peaks lose themselves up in
cloudlmd; while purplish streaks,
barred with crimson and gold flame
bright in the sun which kissed the
Sierras, now his course was run, in low
ing .farewell!" The dark pines over
head moaned in the soft wind the
words that I said to Charlie, again and
again. The stream, as bright hereto
fore as a brook in a dream, flowed, sui
len and brown, down low in the gorge;
the orange light famed from Tim Bel
lowses' forge like a faint mirrored IRE
feet" thrown down from the sky. The
evening a picture in harmony; I, with
my stiied bewailing, a blot on the
scene; my life in its autumn, while
fresh living green around me and Ger
me its canopy spread from the moss at
my feet to the horizons red. Groups
here of young miners, groups there Of
old-an rocking the cradles that bring
them their gold.
And soon will come twilight. I rise
from my feet and, trampling the emer-
aid grass meath my feet, go lettering
along the one s'street" of the town to
where my own cabin stands. Aunt has
a frown on her angular features.
"My, Antoinette. Heaven knows II
it's wrong, dear, to send you-but,
yet, there's a duel in prospect-you
surely must go-the Gent from Arkan-
sas' and sHatchet-faced joe are at odds
you will find them both down at the
creek"
ITO be sure, aunt" I answer. The
latch gives a "click' and I am soon
down at the stream-side. You'll think
it strangely ridiculous" Nora, you'd
shrink at the name of a duel-well,
once so would I! But now I go boldly
to where I descry a knot of men, black
looking 'gainst the gray gloom, but ere
I approach them I see that the doom Of
a quick, instant death is averted.
..It's Queen, it's Queen A~ntoinette,'
they all cry; ''hev We seer a rum-look.
in fellar, a huntsman o. STYLE. who
wars regular boots and whose han
smells O. lie! And whose Inning rig
buns hev buttons O. gold-gay fox
like 'nuf-about thirty years oldp"
Mot l." I say solemnly; ''what ]
came for was to ask you two men here
the cause of this war-I heard that 9
life was in jeopardy-shame! Let cow
ards, not brave men, sirs, play at thai
game"
never can tell why these men show
such fear of my own insignificant pres
ence. I hear low murmurs of .'aI
right ..In be --;" .'no Stree
catch me a-pullin' a trigger at he
"Shill I. go bust my brains out agir
that there stun, or what shW I do fol
repentanceP" asks me-. Says the other
"Jist order me suthin' to do"
"Thank you, my friends; I am salts
fed. Who was the stranger you spoke
OPP
Cant say for sartin'," answers al
old mar by name ''Nosey Martin
Ter jedge by his looks he were sum
mat a swell-but I fash me if Dandy
Sleeve were jest as well as his mother't
wish him! He KEN to the town ant
stopped at the crick, lookin' SQUARED,
and roun'. Then, said he, a wipin' hi
head with his hans, fust rate-nugget
yer findin' in this yer bit O. LAMP"
"Jest middlin',' I answered. Thel
waitin' a space. an SEEM a wonder
some look on his face, 1 perceeded tie
tell him who lived hereabouts. +,
jest named you, Queen, when then
thar blarsted shouts O. 'Hatchet-face'
joe put an end to u CAB. We bark
ened a bit to the furse. With the blal
of a parson at full blast Dandy-Sleev
spoke as %considerin' SIGH murder
number one joke for men to be playin
at!'
!. .He stopped you thenP"
don't ask me, Queen Antoinette
tackle them men! He lecktered Sc
/ verely, and while we was skeered at hi
I elokence, like enough, Dandy Slew
, clearedr"
"He's gone them" I answer. ''Good
night, friends, good-night!' and u
through the darkening cleaning tax
: flight and reassure auntie.
|, Well, Nora, next day a nugget wa
found by "Sir Boston Bluejay." E.
element took hold of these pupils c
mine and books were at discount. TIL
nugget was fine and larger than an
!, they'd found at that place. So tn
, diggings took holiday-scattered apac
E or clustered together to talk of thei
. prize.
Again the red sun sank away in tn
| skies of crimson and gold over there
a the west. I sat down to dream out tn